


A Hunan Connection

by Mystic_Girl_84_Blackness



Category: Casualty (TV), Holby City
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-17 17:07:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14835719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystic_Girl_84_Blackness/pseuds/Mystic_Girl_84_Blackness
Summary: Major character death refers to Raf and Fredrick killed in Frederick's rampage.Dylan panics when he hears about a gunman in the wards, fearing for his friends safety as soon as he is able, he goes to find his friend. In supporting Lofty, Dylan develops a new skills and realises that a 'human connection' doesn't have to be scary. I hope you don't mind the jumping between Ben and Lofty at the beginning.This has a little bit of Dofty before they became a couple at the very beginning and mentioned in conversation hence why I haven't labeled it.





	A Hunan Connection

**Author's Note:**

> Possible reference to PTSD however nothing that should trigger anything. It's more than anything Lofty's reaction to the day of the Shooting.

Panic - sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behaviour (Dictionary. Com) 

Dylan heard about the incident. Panic set it before he'd even realised it. They had just cleared the area and were allowing people in. Dylan used his pass to enter the building. Dylan took the stairs 2 at time, running up to Keller. He’d heard someone had been killed, and others had been injured. No one seemed to know who though, well no one from ED anyway and people hadn't been brought down. He tired to ignore the feeling of powerless going through his body at the thought that Ben could be...hurt or even worse. He dashed through the Keller doors frantically searching the ward , until he came to a small side room. Ben was sitting their, with a doctor. They were both holding hands, however that was the least of Dylan’s worries eyes returning to Ben Dylan breathed a sigh of relief

“Ben! ” He said from across the room

Ben looked around at Dylan, his expression changed to surprise

“Dylan, what are you doing here?” Ben asked

“I saw the news, are you alright? You didn’t get hurt?” Dylan said quickly running his eyes over Ben's body looking for anything that could be wrong.

“No, I’m OK” Lofty said in a reassuring manner

“Right...good..that’s...good” Dylan said hovering uncertain about what to do now he knew that Ben was safe.

Lofty jumped down from the counter and wrapped his arms around Dylan in a hug. Dom watched and while Dylan didn’t return the hug, his whole body seemed to relax, like he physically had to reassure himself Lofty was here.

“You’re finishing now?” Dylan asked directing his question at Lofty

“Yeah, I’m heading home” Lofty answered “Well I will be soon”

“No, your coming to mine,” Dylan said “No arguing I’ll get dinner sorted, you could potentially go into shock and shouldn’t be alone”

Lofty looked surprised at Dylan’s requested

“But...when I left...” Lofty said stunned for a second

“I know what I said! When I said it I didn’t expect to have to go through the panic of never seeing you again alive” Dylan answered huffily looking slightly uncomfortable

“It’s OK Dylan,” Lofty said holding up his hand in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.

“Sorry..I just...just..” Dylan seemed lost for words for a minute.

Dom watched the scene unfold. Dom knew he should leave them for this discussion, but he was honestly astonished. Was Lofty dating this man? Was something going on between them? Had Lofty dated this man? How did Lofty know him? What argument?

“I need to get a few things from my locker” Lofty answered

“I’ll come” volunteered Dylan

“I will meet you at the entrance, I need to do a quick patient hand over” Lofty reassured him

“I’ll wait downstairs...um... don’t take too long Dervla needs a walk too” Dylan said in a huff before turning away and leaving

“Who was that?” Dom enquired as Dylan left before glancing back one more time

“Oh that was Dylan” Lofty answered still in wonderment

“Is he...are you dating?” Dom asked

“What? No. I mean he's a friend from ED” Lofty said

“Seems awfully concerned for a friend” Said Dom

“We weren’t on good terms for a while, he wasn’t happy I left ED” Lofty mused

“I...do you want a relationship with him?” Dom asked curiously

Lofty looked at Dom hard for a second, before giving a crooked smile. 

“It’s Dylan! But at least I get some dinner tonight, and I’m not alone” Lofty answered

“Yeah, that’s good” Dom said quietly

“He has a dog, Dervla who is lovely” Lofty said with a smile as Dom and he headed up to the ward. 

As they headed to the ward, Dom felt his heart sink. It was obvious to him that Lofty meant a lot to this Dylan, and Lofty was fond of him. He wasn’t sure where he stood.

Lofty met Dylan at the entrance and laughed when Dylan handed him a thick fleece. Dom waved goodbye. 

“It’s for shock” He mumbled

Lofty chuckled, though this exchange wasn’t missed by Dom exiting and seeing Dylan hand it to Lofty. 

“So, what you cooking me for dinner tonight?” Lofty asked

”Whatever is in the kitchen” Dylan said quietly “Not done a lot of shopping recently”

“OK” Lofty replied

“That Dom guy you were with, was he the one you slept with at the wedding?” Dylan asked seriously

“Yes, why?” Ben asked

“His the one who turned you down?” Dylan enquired

“He thought it wouldn’t work, yes” Ben answered

“So why were you 2 holding hands?” Dylan asked

“We’ve both been through a traumatic events, its natural to want some reassurance” Lofty defended “Plus it was terrible for him Dylan, he was so scared”

“Why?” Dylan asked curiously

“Fredrick and him never saw eye to eye, and disagreed quite a lot. I think it was jealousy.” Lofty answered

“Jealousy makes people murder?” Dylan asked 

“Yes, it can. Dom managed to achieve the junior doctor prize, something Fredrick wanted and probably something else” Lofty replied “Watching Hansen break was hard though, his son, I can’t believe it” 

“Well it’s over now. You are OK.” Dylan said

“Yeah but there were casualties” Lofty answered sadly

“I know but it is good one of them wasn’t you” Dylan said as they drove off.

Lofty smiled in spite of himself. He knew he and Dylan had to talk some more, but he was so happy that Dylan was speaking to him again.

They arrived at the boat and greeted Dervla who was very excited about the company. As Dylan started to get together making dinner, Lofty sat on the sofa wrapped in Dylan’s fleece. He glanced towards the door briefly. He’d begun to feel the cold more now. Dylan got a basic pasta dish ready. When it was finished, he looked over to the sofa and saw Lofty had fallen asleep, wrapped in the fleece, obviously overwhelmed by today’s events. Dylan tried not to look at him, in case it was creepy, but he would admit even to himself that he had been scared when he heard the news. Ben was that kind of person who would put himself in harms ways to help someone. He hadn’t and appeared unharmed. Dylan watched him under the blanket, curled up in the corner, looking so peaceful. He gently shook Ben’s shoulder to wake him for food. Ben awoke with a startled expression quickly looking around him. 

“I’m sorry, I cooked dinner” Dylan said nervously

“OK” Lofty answered slowly sitting up as Dylan brought over his plate of food.

They both sat in companionable silence as they ate, Dylan put the radio on in the background so quiet music played. 

“Is it OK?” Dylan asked nervously

“Yeah, its great” Lofty said with a half hearted smile “Sorry I’m still trying to process today” he glanced towards the door, then jumped as Dervla tried to get on the sofa, knocking a book to the floor, making Lofty jump and Dylan gave her look. She dutifully got down and sat as his feet. 

“I don’t like to talk about things, but you can talk if you um want. I will endeavour to listen” Dylan watched a startled Lofty reassure himself before facing him, though kept his hands busy fiddling with his fork, not quite making eye contact. 

“Thanks, it was...I don’t know, I’ve seen guns in ED, gunshots, and to be honest I don’t think it affected me as much as the others, it’s just...A friends life was taken, 2 others are fighting for life...and only this morning Oliver was praising me for doing a good job at something, and his currently...well I don’t know. Essie is heartbroken after losing her husband, Raf was such a lovely guy...and to think this morning everything was so...well not normal but hopeful” Lofty answered

“So it’s the deaths and injuries that are bothering you?” Dylan clarified

“Yeah, and god...Dom” Lofty said “I keep flashing back to his look panic, I’ve never seen him so scared, and I wonder, if Hansen hadn’t had found Fredrick...if Dom or I would have been next” He spoke quietly 

“But you did nothing to Fredrick? Why would he want to hurt you?” Dylan asked

“Raf didn’t have anything to do with Fredrick, Jac never worked with him, Oliver never worked with him...so why wouldn’t he have targeted me? I worked with him, and Dom, I am certain Dom was going to be his next victim...” Lofty said with a shiver pulling the fleece around him further “If he did that to people he didn't know...what would he have done to the people he did”

Dylan watched intently

“Then Dom tried to be all heroic, I wanted to stop him, well I know that when you try to reason you can get hurt, and I had to stop him..” Lofty continued processing the events, trembling a little as he remembered. 

“So you put yourself at risk, because your colleague was stupid enough to do it” Dylan asked to clarify what he had heard

“I had to help” Lofty said “I couldn’t just let him...” he moved his hands in an animated gesture, nervous energy flowing through him. 

“But you could have done. Why put your life at risk?" Dylan sounded intregued and worried "I had a thought of you doing something like that...and getting hurt"

"Sometimes you have to stand up and do something, and I did. We may not be seeing each other, but I still care for him and I would have done it for anyone." Lofty finished

"So you obviously care about him a lot if you were willing to risk your safety" Dylan asked

"I didn't think about it. His a colleague, a friend, I don't see anything else developing. I don't think I could open myself again and be shot down." Lofty confided quietly

"Well you don't need to be with Someone....a uh dog provides a good companion" Dylan answered "and there's day care when you are at work, they don't answer back" 

Lofty smiled before leaning down to stroke Dervla who was gazing at him with big brown eyes. Dylan watched Lofty and even while he was stroking Dervla, still noticed Lofty's hand was shaking slightly like he was still unsteady. He had noticed that during most of then evening Lofty had been glancing at the door, Dylan had made sure to lock it while Lofty slept. He didn't have his usual energy and just seemed a little weary of everything around him. Maybe sending him to Robyn's would have been better he mused, he would have got more affection for want of a better word but then thought against it. He liked having the company for a change if he was honest. 

"Plus dogs don't hurt owners unless they are scared, they protect them. They aren't complicated like human or emotions... Give a dog some attention, food, water and walks and they will be your best friend..." Dylan continued

"I know. We shall have to see in the future" Lofty said with a chuckle "While I love dogs, nothing beats cuddling up to a warm person" Lofty said wistfully "Or touching a person, feeling their heartbeat when you lay next to them, or even a hug just a person's warmth"

"That's the human connection...you may remember I lack" Dylan said "That infernal emotion you have and need you have."

"Each to their own" Lofty said with a shrug "I remember Dylan" 

Dylan sat next to Lofty who still appeared slightly jittery and places his arm on the back of the sofa

"Uh.. How do I...." Dylan asked moving his arm

"Do what?" Lofty asked still looking slightly jittery

"Well you obviously need some human connection, you were um holding hands earlier, you seemed calmer, you can um lean against me if it will make you feel better, you've um been shaking on and off most of the night, I locked the door while you were sleeping so you are um... Safe" Dylan said awkwardly

Lofty looked down, he hadn't realised. He looked at Dylan once more for permission with a grateful smile. Dylan didn't move his hand but just nodded awkwardly. Lofty wrapped the blanket around himself before folding himself tentatively against Dylan. Dervla noticed the action and jumped up so she was sitting across Lofty's lap, head resting on Dylan's knee gazing up at him. Applying gentle pressure to help Lofty remain still and calm. Dylan gently moved his hand around so it was gripping Lofty's shoulder gingerly squeezing it, before slowly moving his hand up and down Lofty's arm like he had witnessed relatives do to each other. After a few minutes Lofty seemed to relax into Dylan and moved his arm slowly across his lap to his waist. Dylan stayed still but didn't complain. He just sat there letting Lofty take whatever human comfort he needed. He used his other hand to stroke Dervla, who seemed to be enjoying this unusual level of attention. 

They lay like this for about 10 minutes before Dylan felt Lofty's head getting heavier and heavier on his shoulder. When he chanced a look at Lofty he saw Lofty had dropped off to sleep. Dervla didn't seem to mind staying put and Dylan, while he normally wouldn't have found this comfortable, he realised that it wasn't as bad as he thought. He decided to stay in that position for a while and enjoy the gentle warmth from another person and the calming presence of Dervla. He felt proud of himself, that he had been able to give Lofty some thing he needed, a human connection.


End file.
